The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has officially awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City, but with a stern caveat: the Games could be revoked if US authorities continue their conflict with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Salt Lake City’s selection was widely expected as it was the sole candidate for the 2034 Winter Games, having previously hosted in 2002. However, the decision came with a dramatic twist. Shortly before the bid was approved by a vote of 83 to 6, IOC officials warned that the Games could be withdrawn if US lawmakers and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) did not align with WADA’s “supreme authority.”
Chairman of the IOC’s legal commission, John Coates, announced that the host city contract had been modified to allow the IOC to revoke Salt Lake City’s hosting rights if US authorities undermined WADA. “The IOC has reinforced the current language of the Olympic host contract in order to protect the integrity of the international anti-doping system and to allow the IOC to terminate the Olympic host contract in cases where the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency is not fully respected or if the application of the World Anti-Doping code is hindered or undermined,” Coates stated. “It is a must, and I stress the word must, for the US authorities to respect WADA.”
USADA has been a vocal critic of WADA for years, and tensions have recently escalated following reports that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but were cleared to compete. USADA chief Travis Tygart accused WADA of covering up the cases, attributing China’s explanation to unintentional food contamination. WADA has vehemently denied the allegations and threatened legal action against USADA.
Coates also confirmed that both the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the state of Utah had agreed to the reworded host city contract. USOPC chairman Gene Sykes emphasized the importance of adhering to WADA’s guidelines. “We are committed to fostering WADA’s authority as it is crucial for the opportunity to provide clean sport for athletes and give them confidence that they can be protected,” Sykes said. “Our view is that this is of paramount importance, and we take their concerns very seriously.”
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